Remote control receiver

ABSTRACT

533,989. Remote control radio receivers. HAZELTINE CORPORATION. Dec. 6, 1939, No. 31628. Convention date, Dec. 31, 1938. [Class 40 (v)] [Also in Groups XXXVIII and XXXIX] A radio receiving section 11 is controlled from a section 10 by means of an oscillation generator with a time delay device operating as follows. When a switch 65 is closed to connect the power supply of the section 10, another switch 66 is simultaneously operated and sets the valve oscillator 60 is oscillating at one frequency ; and the oscillations transmitted to a relay 39 operates a switch 34 to set the section 11 in operation. After a given time, a thermal switch 68 heated by an electric heater 69 switches the oscillator off and changes the tuning of the oscillator valve 60 in readiness for the next operation, which, as shown, is the switching off operation. That is, when the switch 65 is turned back, to switch the section 10 off, the switch 66 again sets the valve 60 oscillating but this time at a different frequency, whereby the relay 39 operates to open the switch 34 to shut off the section 11. As shown, the section 11 includes an intermediate frequency amplifier 23 and associated devices for operating a loud speaker 26 ; the section 10 includes an oscillator modulator 18 and associated devices ; a separate section comprises an impedance matching device 9 for the aerial circuit 12, 13 ; and all the sections are interconnected by lines 14 and plugs 15.

JJ P-" a V I I I 189-310 .V EIIIEZ My E if- Feb. 6,1940. I F. CURTIS 2,139,310

- REMOTE CONTROL RECEIVER Filed Dec. 31, 1938 I0 J {30 120 l I4- "fiEIIIN E SUPPLY DEVICE 27 I L '21; 9 0 I Avc I Y F SUPPLY I 6 o--o 0 L O I RADIO- INTERMEDIATE OSCILLATOR I FREQUENCY FREQUENCY AMPLIFIER MODULATOR AMPLIFIER I l Q o-I--o q --0 Q 0- I I L116 I he 1 I?) -28 I l I I I I I I I l l I I I I I I I l I I I l I I l l I l I I I I l l I I I II l I r F3 I I I I 583K I ORESPONSIV POWER F0 RELAY u 0 SUPPLY -35 I l- 34 Q F0 I I I I I I I5 0 o (5 O- I I QIMPEDANCE INTERMEDIATE AuoIo- I I I MATCHING FREQUENCY DETECTOR FREQUENCY I DEVICE AMPLIFIER AMPLIFIER I I4 01 0- INVENTOR \EfiJE F. CURTIS BY 7 ATTORNEY i Yin-016.013

,UNlTED STATES REMOTE CONTROL RECEIVER Leslie F. Curtis, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to Hazeltine Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application December 31, 1938, Serial No. 248,708

12 Claims.

This invention relates generally to remotely controllable radio receivers and particularly to receivers comprising a remote control system not involving the use of additional control wires between the remote control unit and the receiver.

While the invention is of general application, it is of particular utility in providing an on-ofi control in a receiver of the above-mentioned type.

It is frequently desirable to eiiect a control of a radio receiver from a point remote from the receiver. For instance, it may be desirable to place the bulky parts of the receiver at some convenient part of the room or at some position to procure the best acoustical effect and to control the receiver by means of a compact control unit from a remote point. Furthermore, it may be desirable to move the control unit from one part of the house to another. In such receivers,

it is desirable to provide an on-ofi control at the remote unit which is effective, upon operation,

to generate a control signal f or only a short period to efiect the desired control operation at the receiver; for instance, to turn on the receiver, and thereafter condition the system to efiect a different type of control operation when next operated, for instance, to turn off the receiver, and to repeat this cycle of operations in sequence.

It is furthermore desirable to provide a single control for supplying power to the control unit and to the receiver. Also, it may be desirable in some instances to combine this single control with the conventional manual volume control of the receiver.

In some receivers of the prior art, a continuous control signal from the remote control unit has been utilized to maintain the receiving unit in an operative condition. This is undesirable both for the reason that additional power is required and for the reason that signal reproduction may be interfered with by the control signal. In other arrangements of the prior art for providing an on-off operation for remotely controlled radio receivers, it has been necessary manually to control the length of time for which a control signal is generated by manually effecting an operation to discontinue the control signal. Furthermore, in some remote control arrangements it has been necessary to use a separate manually controlled switch for energizing the control unit in order thereafter to operate the off-on switch at the receiver. 7

On the other hand, it is desirable, in remotecontrol arrangements of the type under consideration, to be able to turn on the receiver from the remotecontrol station by means of a control arrangement which maintains the control signal only for a sufficient length of time to disconnect the power from the receiver proper and which thereafter is itself disconnected from its own source of power, thereby avoiding the necessity for stand-by power.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a wave-signal receiver including a remote control system which is efiective to provide a control signal for a short time only and thereafter condition the control arrangement for the next operation in the control cycle.

It is another object of the invention to provide adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence together with a plurality of means each responsive to operation of said control means to a predetermined one of said positions and adapted to condition said generator to provide an output of a difierent characteristic. A time-delay device is associated with the plural means for effecting operation of the generator for each of the positions of the control means for a limited time only and thereafter for conditioning the generator for operation with another predetermined one of said characteristics upon operation of the control means to the next position in the sequence.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the generator is a high-frequency oscillator comprising a. plurality of fixed-tuned condensers adapted to be selectively included in the circuit of the oscillator, thereby to provide a control signal of a different frequency for each of the positions of the control means. Also in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the remote control arrangement is utilized as an off-on switch for the radio receiver and the control means is adapted to be operated alternately to each of two difierent positions, the oscillator being effective in one of the positions of the control means to Provide a control signal efiective to connect the receiver proper to its power supply source and being effective in the other of the positions of the control means to disconnect the receiver from its power supply source.

For a better understanding of the invention. together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The single figure of the drawing is a circuit diagram, partly schematic, of a complete superheterodyne receiver embodying the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown schematically a superheterodyne receiver including a remote carrier-fre quency section I0 and a local modulation-frequency section H. Considering first the essential elements of the receiver per se, it comprises,

in general, an antenna ground circuit l2, 13.

coupled to a power transmission line H through an impedance-matching device 9 and a convenience outlet and plug 15; a radio-frequency selector and amplifier l6 having its input circuit coupled to power supply line 14 through a convenience outlet and plug I5 and an impedancematching device H and its output circuit connected to a tunable frequency changer or oscillator-modulator I8, the output circuit of which is coupled, in turn, to the input circuit of an intermediate-frequency selector and amplifier l9. The intermediate-frequency output circuit of amplifier i9 is coupled through an impedancematching device 20, conductors 2|, switch 65, and convenience outlet and plug 15 to the power line l4, in order that the intermediate-frequency signals may be transmitted to the modulation-frequency section II of the receiver over the power line M.

The modulation-frequency section includes a second intermediate-frequency amplifier 23, coupled through an impedancematching device 24 and convenience outlet and plug [5 to the power line 14. Connected in cascade to the out- ,put circuit'of intermediate-frequency amplifier 23, in the order named, are a signal detector 23a, an audio-frequency amplifier 25, and a sound-reproducing device 25.

An automatic amplification control or AVC bias is derived in section lil irom an AVC supply unit 21, coupled to amplifier l9, and is supplied over conductor 28 to the control grids of one or more of the tubes of radio-frequency amplifier I6, oscillator-modulator l8, and intermediatefrequency amplifier !9 to maintain the input to detector 23a within a relatively narrow range for a wide range of received signal amplitudes. A power supply unit 39 is provided for section ill of the receiver and is connected to the power line 14 to provide operating potentials for the tubes of section I0 over conductor 3| in a conventional manner. A power supply unit 33 is similarly provided for section ll of the receiver and, when coupled to the power line 14 through a control relay described hereinafter, provides operating potentials for the tubes of section II over a conductor 35 in a conventional manner.

Generally speaking, the operation of the receiver just described is well understood in the art and a detailed description thereof is unnecessary. In brief, however, signals intercepted by the antenna l2, 13 are transmitted by imped ance-matching device 9, power supply line l4, and impedance-matching device 17 to radio-frequency amplifier l6, wherein they are amplified and translated to the tunable frequency changer 18 for conversion to intermediate-frequency signals in a well known manner. The intermediatefrequency signals are selected and amplified in intermediate-frequency amplifier l8 and translated through impedance-matching device 28, conductors 2!, power supply line i l, and impedance-matching device 24 to the second intermediate-frequency amplifier 23 for further selection and amplification. The intermediatefrequency output of amplifier 2-3 is passed to detector 230. wherein the audio frequencies of modulation are derived. The audio-frequency signal is further amplified in amplifier 25 and supplied the usual manner to loudspeaker 25 for reproduction. The unidirectional output of the AVG supply unit 21, applied by way of connection 28 to the control grids of one or more of the tubes of radio-frequency amplifier l6, oscillator l8, and intermediate-frequency amplifier i9, maintains the amplitude of the signal input to detector 23a within a relatively narrow range vfor a wide range of received signals.

It is seen that the control section it of the receiver comprises all the conventional control .elements of ,a receiver of the superheterodyne type and the remaining elements of a conventional superheterodyne receiver are comprised within-the section H. A receiver of this type is described and claimed in the copending application, Serial Number 212,902, filed June 10, .1938, on the application of L. M. Hershey. In the description which has been given above, elements which are similar to those of the above-mentioned copending application have been given identical reference numerals.

In order that the power supply unit 33 of section I I may be connected to power line M through the local control relay by means of an operation effected at control unit 10, there is provided in accordance with the present invention an ofi-on signal generator 38 comprising an oscillator for generating a signal which is efiective to energize a control relay 38 of section H having contacts .34 included in the circuit of power supply unit 33. It will be understood that relay 39 may be .of a conventional type, the operation of which is Well understood in the art, and is effective when energized by means of a given signal to close its contacts 34 and effective when energized by means of a different predetermined signal to open its contacts 34. The generator 38 comcircuit to the power supply unit 39 is connected .for unicontrol with switch 66 by means of unicontrol mechanism 61 and may comprise therewith a double-pole double-throw switch.

In order that the control signal of oscillator 38 will be supplied to power line hl for only a short time, upon the operation of control switches 65, 66, there is provided a thermostatic time-delay relay 68 operated by means of a heater 69 connected to power supply 30. The relay 58 is efiective in its two positions to condition the oscillator "60 to provide control signals of difierent frequencies by the inclusion or exclusion of condenser 64 in the frequency-determining circuit of the-oscillator. Power for the operation of oscillator 38 is supplied from the power supply source 14 and time-delay relay 68 also provides an arrangement for disconnecting the filament circuit or vacuum tube 60 from the power-supply source after a predetermined length of time.

In considering the operation of the portion of the circuit constituting the present invention, it will be assumed that switch 65 is closed and that switch 63 and time-delay relay 68 are in the positions shown. .It will be seen that, under these conditions, power is being supplied to power supply unit 30 and that heater 69 is energized to maintain the thermostatic time-delay relay 68 in the position shown. Under this condition, it is assumed that the receiver is in operation but that the filament circuit of tube 60 is open at the upper contact of switch 66 so that oscillator 38 is not in operation. If unicontrol arrangement 51 is then operated to its upper position to turn oi the receiver, the oscillator 38 including tube 50 generates a frequency which is dependent upon the value of condenser 63, since the circuit of condenser 64 is open at the lower contact of relay 68, and which is efiective -to operate relay 39 to open its contacts 34 to deenergize the receiver section II. However, at the instant the unicontrol arrangement 61 is operated to its upper position, power supply 30 is disconnected from power line .H! by switch 65, thereby deenergizing heater 89. After a length of time, during which the thermostatic element of relay 68 cools, relay 68 operates to open its upper contacts to disconnect the filament circuit of vacuum tube 59 from power supply line I4, thereby effectively discontinuing the control signal which is being generated. Relay 68 is also efiective upon operation at this time to close its lower contacts to connect condenser 64 effectively in parallel with condenser 63 in the frequency-determining circuit of oscillator 38. If now unicontrol mechanism '3 is operated to throw switches 65 and 66 to their lower positions, the filament circuit of tube to is again energized through the lower contacts of switch 66 and relay 68 and the oscillator 38 generates a control signal of a frequency dependent on the value of condensers $3 and 64 in parallel, this control signal being efiective to turn on the receiver section H by the operation of relay 39 to close its contacts 34. Also, upon operation of unicontrol mechanism 61, power is supplied to power supply unit 30, thereby enersizing heater 69. Time-delay relay 68 operates after a time delay again to open its lower contacts to disconnect the filament of tube 60 from power line supply I4 and to disconnect condenser 64 from the frequency-determining circuit of the oscillator. The oscillator 38 is thus deenergized and conditioned so that, upon the next operation of unicontrol mechanism 61, a frequency is generated which is effective to operate the on-oir signal-responsive relay 39 to turn off the receiver and this cycle of operations may be repeated as desired.

It will be seen that the circuit for energizing the filament of tube til through double-throw switch 66 and double-throw switch 68 is similar to a three-wire lighting circuit, well known in the by which a ight can be switched on or off at either of two remotely spaced switches.

It will be understood that a manual volume Control arrangement y be provided within the unit l0 and that switches 65 and 66 may be mcontrolled with the volume control mechanism.

Such a unicontrol mechanism i th effe ti to provide on-ofi control near one of its limiting positions and to provide volume control over the major portion of its motion.

While there have been described what are at present considered the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from this invention, and, therefore, it is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention. I

What is claimed is: I 1

1. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, an electrical generator for providing a control signal to effect control operations at said receiver, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, means responsive to operation of said control means to each of said positions to condition said generator to provide a predetermined control signal, and means including a time-delay device for efiecting operation of said generator for a limited time only upon operation of said control means to each of said positions and thereafter conditioning said generator for operation upon adjustment of said control means to the next position in said sequence. l

2. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, an electrical generator for providing a control signal to effect control operations at said receiver, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, means responsive to operation of said control means to each of said positions to condition said generator to provide a control signal of a different characteristic, and means including a time-delay device electrically interlocked with said control means for effecting operation of said generator for a limited time only upon operation of said control means to each of said positions and thereafter conditioning said generator to provide a control signal of another predetermined characteristic upon operation of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

3. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, an electrical generator for providing a control signal to effect control operations at said receiver, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, means responsive to operation of said control means to each of said positions to condition said generator to provide a control signal of a difierent characteristic, and means including a time-delay device for efiecting operation of said generator for a limited time only upon operation of said control means to each of said positions and thereafter conditioning said generator to provide a control signal of another predetermined characteristic upon operation of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

4. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, a highfrequency oscillator for providing a control signal to effect control operations at said receiver, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, means responsive to operation of said control means to each of said positions to condition said oscillator to provide a control signal of a different frequency characteristic, and means including a time-delay device for efiecting operation of said oscillator for a limited time only upon operation of said control means to each of said positions of said control means and thereafter conditioning said oscillator to provide a control signal of another predetermined frequency characteristic upon operation of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

5. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, a high frequency oscillator for providing a control signal to effect control operations at said receiver, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, a plurality of adjustably fixed tuning elements, certain of said elements being adapted to be inserted into the frequency-determining circuit of said oscillator by operation of said control means to a predetermined one of said positions to condition said oscillator to provide a control signal of-a different frequency characteristic, and means including a time-delay device for efiecting operation of said oscillator for a limited time only upon operation of said control means to each of said positions of said control means and thereafter conditioning said oscillator to provide a control signal of another predetermined characteristic upon operation of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

6. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, a high-frequency oscillator for providin a control signal to effect control operations at said receiver, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, a plurality of fixed condensers, certain of said condensers being adapted to be inserted into the circuit of said oscillator by operation of said control means to a predetermined one of said positions to condition said oscillator to provide a control signal of a difierent frequency characteristic, and means including a time-delay device for elfecting operation of said oscillator for a limited time only upon operation of said control means to each of said positions of said control means and thereafter conditioning said oscillator to provide a control signal of another predetermined frequency characteristic upon operation of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

7. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, an electrical generator for providing a control signal to effect control operations at said receiver, control means adapted to be operated alternately to each of two different positions, two means responsive to said control means in a predetermined one of said positions to condition said generator to provide a predetermined control signal, and means including a time-delay device for effecting operation of said generator for a limited time only upon operation of said control means to each of said positions and thereafter conditioning said generator for operation upon adjustment of said control means to its other position.

8. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, an electrical generator for providing a control signal to eifect control operations at said receiver, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, means responsive to the operation of said control means to each of said positions to condition said generator to provide a predetermined control signal, and means including a thermostatic time-delay device for efl'ecting operation of said generator for a limited time only upon operation of said control means to each of said positions of said control means and thereafter conditioning said generator for operation upon adjustment of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

9. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, an electrical generator for providing a control signal to efiect control operations at said receiver, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, means responsive to the operation of said control means to each of said positions to condition said generator to provide a predetermined control signal, a thermostatic time-delay device having a predetermined time delay upon energization and a predetermined time delay upon deenergization, and means including said time-delay device for effecting operation of said generator for a limited time only upon operation of said control means to each of said positions of said control means and thereafter conditioning said generator for operation upon adjustment of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

19. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a

remote-control apparatus comprising, a remote A unit including an electrical generator for providin a control signal to effect control operations at said receiver, means for coupling said remote unit to a source of power supply, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, means responsive to operation of said control means to each of said positions to condition said generator to provide a predetermined control signal, a thermostatic time-delay device dependent upon connection to said power supply source for operation with a given time delay, and means comprising said time-delay device for effecting operation of said generator for said given time only for each of said positions of said control means and thereafter conditioning said generator for operation upon adjustment of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

11. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, a high-frequency oscillator including a vacuum tube for providing a control signal to eifect control operations at said receiver, means for coupling said vacuum tube to a source of power supply, control m ans adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, means responsive to operation of said control means to each of said positions to condition said generator to provide a predetermined control signal, and

means including a time-delay device for effectively disconnecting said first-mentioned means for effecting operation of said generator for a limited time only ior'each of said positions of said control means and thereafter conditioning said generator for operation upon adjustment of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

12. In a modulated-carrier signal receiver, a remote-control apparatus comprising, a high-frequency oscillator including a vacuum tube having a cathode for providing a control signal to eifect control operations at said receiver, a cathodeheating circuit, means for operatively connecting said tube including said cathode-heating circuit to a source of power supply, control means adapted to be operated to a plurality of positions in a predetermined sequence, means responsive to the operation of said control means to each of said positions to condition said oscillator to provide a predetermined control signal, and means including a time-delay device for effectively disconnecting said cathode-heating circuit from said power supply thereby to effect operation of said generator for a limited time only for each of said positions of said control means, said last-mentioned means being effective thereafter to condition said generator for operation upon adjustment of said control means to the next position in said sequence.

LESLIE F. CURTIS. 

